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Catechism
Orphaned copyright status verified and permission granted for reprinting 1942
English translation of the 1919 German edition and the 1963 text for educational
and religious purposes.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations taken from Holy Bible, New
International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Cover photos: Stained Glass Windows from the former Tyndall German
Congregational Church, Tyndall, South Dakota, built 1894 under the pastorate of
Rev. John Sattler.
Editor’s Notes i
3 Introduction 5
7 The Sacraments 27
Most Scripture passages quoted in the Catechism have been updated to the
New International Version of the Bible (NIV), except those which retain
deep traditional usage in worship.
Throughout the text, the English has been modernized to make archaic
vocabulary more readable for the contemporary audience, except those
passages which retain traditional usage in worship.
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Introduction to this Edition
The German Congregational Catechism was first published in 1904 by the
General Conference of German Congregational Churches, a small
association of independent minded, Bible-centered, Russian German
immigrants who homesteaded the plains of Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas,
and beyond. Coming from Lutheran and Reformed backgrounds in
Europe, but not feeling comfortable with the Lutheran and Reformed
denominational groupings already established in the United States, these
immigrants founded their own association of churches in 1883, in Crete,
Nebraska, borrowing the “Congregational” style of local self government
and melding that with their own blend of Lutheran and Reformed pietism.
Unlike Luther’s Catechism that began with a study of the Law, or the
Heidelberg Catechism’s pondering of one’s only comfort being found in
belonging to Jesus Christ, the German Congregational Catechism begins
with a focus on Scripture and the centrality of the Bible in expressing the
truths of the Christian faith.
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The dissolution of the German Congregational Church also meant the cease
of publication of the German Congregational Catechism and its
abandonment by many churches of that heritage. Yet, the centrality of this
Catechism remained a burning ember in a number of German
Congregational heritage churches that refused to be snuffed out. As the
years passed, a number of these churches found that their Bible-centered
faith, still taught by their ministers who used the Catechism, produced an
uneasy alliance with their new denominational affiliation as its doctrines and
practices drifted away from solid Biblical foundations.
It is our prayer that the reprint of this Catechism helps fan the flame of
Biblical Christian faith that it might burn brightly as the “light of the
world” (Matthew 5:14), just as Jesus intended, for many years to come.
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I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage. Thou shall have no other gods before me. The
Second Commandment
Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth: Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love
me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord
will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep in holy. Six days shall thou labor, and
do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in
it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-
servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within
thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God gives to thee.
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Thou shall not covet they neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet they
neighbor’s wife nor his man-servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
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The German Congregational Catechism
INTRODUCTION
A short presentation of biblical teachings for our welfare and our salvation.
The Bible, for in matters of faith only biblical teachings are to be accepted.
The Holy Scriptures or the Word of God; written by men guided by the
spirit of God.
Into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament
It contains the books of the Bible which were written before the birth of
Jesus. We group them into historical, instructional and prophetic books.
The historical books of the Old Testament are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2
Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
The instructional books of the Old Testament are: Job, the Psalms, the
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It contains the books that were written after the birth of Jesus and gives us
a report of his life and teachings, the work of his apostles and the beginning
of the Christian Church.
The historical books of the New Testament are: the Gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John and the Acts of the Apostles.
The instructional books of the New Testament are: Paul’s Letters to the
Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, the Letter to the
Hebrews, the Letters of James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, and Jude.
The prophetic book of the New Testament is: The Revelation of John.
The Holy Scriptures contain the revealed will of God in the Law and the
Gospel.
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The Law is that presentation of the will of God, whereby he, as a loving
Father, commands us to do good and to avoid evil.
*10. In what verses of the Bible do we find the content of the Gospel
concisely expressed?
In John 3:16 : “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
And in 1 Timothy 1:15; “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full
acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
*11. What reasons do we have for believing that the Holy Scriptures are the
Word of God?
1.) Because of the divine influence which they have exerted upon the
lives of so many people and the comfort they have given to
believers during their lives and in their dying moments.
2.) Because of the many promises contained in them which have
already been fulfilled, and the miracles described in them, which
can be brought about only by divine power.
3.) Because they were written by holy men of God, as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit.
Our catechism is divided into five principal parts. These are: the Ten
Commandments, the Apostles Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Sacraments
and the Christian Church.
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14. Where and when did God give us the Ten Commandments?
On Mount Sinai 50 days after the deliverance of the Israelites from the
bondage of Egypt. (Exodus 20)
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of
slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.
That we fear, love and trust God above all things. 1 John 5:3. In fact, this is
love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not
burdensome. Isaiah 42:8. I am the LORD, that is my name! I will not yield
my glory to another, or my praise to idols.
You shall not make for yourself an image, in the form of anything in heaven
above, or on the earth beneath, or that is in the waters below. You shall
not bow down to them, nor worship them. For I the Lord your God am a
jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third
and fourth generation of those who hate me; but showing love to a
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God says in this Commandment that we shall not worship him in any
image, for all true worshippers must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Isaiah 40:18.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God; for the Lord will not
hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
That we should not use his name thoughtlessly, nor irreverently, but make
it holy and honor it. Leviticus 19:12.
Remember the Sabbath day, by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and
do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God:
On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor
your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in
your towns, For in six days the Lord made heavens and earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord
blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
We can make the Sabbath day holy by resting from all worldly employment,
by studying the word of God at home and in church, by attending public
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worship, with praises and thanksgiving, and by devoting the entire day to
our own and to our neighbor’s salvation. Psalms 100:2-4; Acts 2:42,46-47.
Honor your father and your mother; so that you may live long in the land
the Lord your God is giving you.
God wishes to impress upon us the value and the sacredness of human life,
therefore, he forbids us to take our own lives or to kill others. Romans 12:19;
Matthew 5:44-45; [See also Didache 2:2].
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You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your
neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbor.
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The fear of God and the love toward our fellow men are to restrain us from
craftily seeking to appropriate to ourselves our neighbor’s possessions; his
house, his wife, his servants, his cattle… We should rejoice with him when
he is happy and prosperous. 1 John 2:15-17.
35. Where in the New Testament and in what words do we find a summary
of these Ten Commandments?
In the Gospel of St. Matthew 22:37-40: “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first
and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.”
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I believe that God made heaven and earth, including me and all creatures;
he gave me body and soul, reasoning power and all my senses; he provides
me with food, clothing, home, family and all my possessions. I believe that
he provides me daily with all necessities of life, protects and preserves me
from danger, this all out of his fatherly and divine mercy, without any
praiseworthy quality on my part. For this I am duty bound to love, praise,
serve and obey him.
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We can’t see God because God is a spirit, and a spirit is invisible. John 4:24.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
There is but one God; though he has revealed himself in three persons: the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Mark 12:29. Hear, O Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is One.
God created all things by his own power, his own free will and in an orderly
manner.
The principal beings created by God are the angels and man.
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The angels are spirits, which God created to glorify him and to serve man.
The principal being on earth is man, consisting of body, soul and spirit.
Genesis 2:7. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man
became a living being.
We call God the Father of all men because all human beings belong to one
family, of which God is the Father.
God will make himself known to us if we read the Bible (to know his will),
pray to him, do right and try to live in the spirit of Jesus.
Divine providence is the care with which God watches over us and over the
world. Psalm 33:18. “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.” Nahum 1:7.
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I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the
third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and sits at
the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to
judge the living and the dead.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father, lived among his
fellow men, and by his teaching, his suffering and death on the cross
revealed the true love of God to mankind. In giving himself in this sacrifice
of his own free will, he is our redeemer and deliverer from death and the
power of Satan. His sacrifice is the assurance for us that God is willing to
forgive our sins if we repent an in turn love and obey him.
Matthew 1:21. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Christ is called the God-man because there are two aspects to his nature,
the divine and the human.
John 1:14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth.”
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The name Christ means the Anointed One. Jesus was the long-expected
Messiah. [*He is the Anointed of the Lord, our Teacher, High-priest, and
King.]
We call Jesus our Teacher because he teaches us about God, our Father,
and how he expects us to live as his children. John 1:18
Christ is our high-priest because he offered himself for our sins, and even
now makes intercession for us at the right hand of God, the Father, and
bestows upon us all the blessings which he acquired for us. Hebrews 9:26 and
28; Hebrews 9:24
Christ is our king, because he reigns over us and protects us, and also
gathers and preserves his church. He will return again as king to judge the
world and to take us into the kingdom of his eternal glory. Psalm 96:10;
Revelation 17:14; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:25
We call Jesus the Savior of mankind because through his life and death he
revealed the true love of God the Father toward us. It is this love that
draws us from the way of sin to God. Romans 5:8; Hebrews 9:26, 28.
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Sin is the wrong and evil in this world that stands in opposition to God.
James 4:17.
Sin separates us from God and brings sorrow, pain and suffering, and
always leads to destruction.
We say this in order to confess that he became true man and thus fulfilled
the prophecies concerning his incarnation. Luke 1:35; John 1:14
The suffering of Jesus teaches us that God loves the world enough to suffer
for its salvation. John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.”
65. What did Christ accomplish for us by his suffering and death?
Through his suffering and death, Christ reconciled us with God and
redeemed us from sin, death, Satan and hell, and restored unto us
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By the resurrection of Jesus we mean that though he was crucified and died
he arose on the third day and lives forever. 1 Corinthians 15:20, 22.
Christ rose from the dead by the power of God, on the third day, with a
transfigured body, and thereby clearly established that he is the Son of God
and the Savior of the World. Acts 2:24; Acts 10:40-41; Romans 1:4; Romans 4:25;
1 Cor. 15:17-18; Romans 6:4; 2 Cor. 5:15; John 11:25-26; 1 Cor. 15:20, 22; 1 Cor. 6:14;
Romans 8:11; Rev. 1:17-18
Forty days after his resurrection Christ ascended into heaven and entered
into his glory; where he is sitting at the right hand of God. Acts 1:3, 9.
Christ will come again, in great power and glory, to bring joy and
deliverance to the righteous. Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:36.
The judgment of the world is the final judgment by Jesus Christ of all the
living and dead people, according to their works. Matthew 16:27; 2 Corinthians
5:10.
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I believe in the Holy Spirit, in the one Holy Universal Christian Church; the
communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Holy Trinity,
preceeds from the Father and the Son, dwells in the hearts of true believers,
and that he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies all Christians and keeps
them in the true faith. As he has risen from the dead he will in the end raise
all the dead and give to all true believers eternal life.
Three offices are ascribed to the Holy Spirit; the office of reproof; the
office of comforting; the office of teaching.
If we love and obey God, the Holy Spirit is our constant companion.
John 14: 16-17.
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When we sincerely pray to God, the Holy Spirit opens our minds to the
truth and stirs our consciences to choose the right. John 16:13-14.
Conversion is the decision of the sinner to renounce all evil, seek salvation,
and dedicate his life to the service of God. Ezekiel 33:11; Ezekiel 18:21; Acts
26:18; 1 Peter 2:25.
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We must have faith because faith is necessary for wise and happy living. By
faith in God and man, and in better things to come, we discover God’s
highest goals. Hebrews 11:6. And without faith it is impossible to please
God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and
that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
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Prayer is speaking with God, whereby we offer praise, give thanks, express
our thoughts to him, listen to him and make our petitions either for
ourselves or others.
The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples as given in Matthew 6:9-13.
[See also Didache 8:2]
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not
into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
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The name of God is in itself holy, but we pray in this petition that it may
also be made holy among us. This is done when the word of God is taught
in sincerity and we as children of God live according to his teaching.
The kingdom of God is coming even without our prayers, but we pray in
this petition that we and all the people on earth may share in this kingdom
and that all the kingdoms of the earth may speedily become the kingdom of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s good and gracious will is indeed done without our prayer, but we
pray in this petition that it may also be done among us, and everywhere, and
that everyone on earth may do his will as cheerfully as the angels in heaven.
Hebrews 13:21.
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God indeed gives daily bread without our prayer, even to the wicked, but
we pray in this petition that he may help us to recognize his kindness, that
we may learn to appreciate his gracious gifts and receive them with
thanksgiving. Psalm 145:15.
We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven may not look upon our
sins, nor on their account deny our petitions, for we are unworthy, but we
ask that by his grace he grant them in the measure as we are willing to
forgive our fellow men who may do wrong to us. Matthew 6:14, 15; Colossians
3:13.
God indeed tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God may
protect and keep us; that the Devil, the world and our own flesh may not
deceive us, nor lead us into sin. James 1:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13.
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We pray in this petition that the Father in heaven may deliver us from every
evil of body and soul; and, finally, when our last hour has come, grant us a
happy end and graciously take us from this world of sorrow to himself in
heaven. John 17:15.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
With these words we express a confident assurance that such petitions are
acceptable to our Father in heaven and heard by him; for he himself
commanded us thus to pray and promised that we shall be heard. Amen,
that is, Yea, yea, it shall be so.
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THE SACRAMENTS
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. They are sacred
ceremonies observed from the earliest times by the Christian church to
remember Christ and to receive his Spirit.
Because they are visible signs or symbols of spiritual truths that are sacred,
things that we feel deeply but cannot see.
A. Holy Baptism
108. What is Holy Baptism?
Holy Baptism is a sacrament, whereby God the Father, through Jesus Christ
his Son, and the Holy Spirit, assures those who are baptized, whether adults
or infants, that he will be gracious unto them and forgive them all their sins
for Jesus’ sake, and in his mercy and compassion adopt them as his children
and make them heirs of heaven.
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authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you.: And in the Gospel according to St. Mark, in the last
chapter, he said these words: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel
to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned.” (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16)
Baptism is a symbol of the cleansing from sin by the blood of Christ and of
the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:26; Acts 1:5.
Holy Baptism requires of us that we renounce all sin and by faith lead a new
life, gladly confess our Lord Jesus, and in everything we do seek the glory of
God the Father. Acts 8:37; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 3:9-10
It involves a solemn obligation on the part of the parents who present their
child for consecration to God, to teach it early the fear of the Lord, to
watch over its education, associates and habits, and give it all the
opportunities of religious education and training. Ephesians 6:4.
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115. When and in what words did Christ institute the Lord’s Supper?
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed took bread and when
he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it unto the disciples and said,
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of
me. In the same way after supper he took the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it to them saying. Drink you all of it; this cup is the new covenant in
my blood, which is shed for you, for the remission of sins; this do, as oft as
you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25.
By partaking of the Lord’s Supper we receive the assurance that his body
was as surely offered for us upon the cross and his bloodshed for us, as
surely we see with our own eyes that the bread of the Lord is broken for us
and the blessed cup present to us; and that Christ will as certainly nourish
us with his body and blood, as certainly as we physically eat the bread and
drink the cup of the Lord. John 6:51.
We must search our own hearts and examine our own lives, for in 1
Corinthians 11:28 we read: “Everyone ought to examine themselves, before
they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.” Psalm 139:23, 24. “Search
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me, O God, and know my heart; test me, and know my anxious thoughts
See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
118. What is the result for one who partakes of the Lord’s Supper
unworthily?
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The invisible church comprises all those, in heaven and on earth, who have
been regenerated and are true Christians. This group is called the invisible
church because true believers are known to God only, “For man looks on
the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
The church militant consists of those members of the church who are
[zealous of good works, patient in suffering and]actively engaged in the
struggle with sin, which means all forces of evil.
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The church is governed by Christ, its only head, through the Word of God
and the Holy Spirit.
127. What kind of churches are best able to regulate their own affairs, in
accordance with the will of God?
Those churches are best able to regulate their own affairs, in accordance
with the will of God which earnestly follow the precepts of the Holy
Scriptures, and in which the members do nothing through strife or vain
glory, but gladly follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In such churches
the Holy Spirit is able to give the necessary wisdom and to reveal clearly the
will of God, even in the most difficult cases.
128. What is the duty of the individual congregation toward other churches?
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130. What great events will take place at the second coming of Christ?
The resurrection of the dead and the ascension of the Lord’s elect will take
place. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God: and the
dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left
will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
John 5:28, 29. “For a time is coming when all who are in their graves will
hear his voice and come out -those who have done what is good will rise to
live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”
Yes, the wicked will also be raised from the dead on the last day, not
however, to everlasting glory, but to eternal disgrace and damnation,
because they have repudiated Christ and rejected salvation.
The judgment of the world is the final judgment by Jesus Christ of all the
living and the dead people according to their works. Matthew 16:27; Matthew
25:31-32; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-13.
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The Lord will say to the ungodly: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into the
eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.” And to the
righteous he will say: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 20:11-13, 15;
Matthew 25:34-36, 40.
The elect of God shall enter into everlasting bliss and great joy. They shall
have blessed fellowship with all the redeemed and the holy angels, and have
full possession of all heavenly gifts. Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 15:2-3
That he may have steadfast hope of eternal life, as Jesus said, “But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
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